严复是在戊戌维新时期走上历史舞台的。他适应了特定的历史时期的发展要求,以炽热的爱国激情,把救亡与启蒙、爱国主义与民主主义思想紧密地结合起来。作为民主启蒙的最初倡导者,他把近代中国的爱国主义推进到一个新的发展阶段。严复成为近代中国民主运动的先驱者,不是偶然的。他旧学深沉,又接受过比较系统的新式教育,特别是有过留学英国的经历。他在欧洲接触了大量的西方政治学术思想,如亚当·斯密、孟德斯鸠、卢梭、边沁、穆勒、赫胥黎、斯宾塞等人的学说,尤为推崇达尔文的进化论。这种比较扎实的西学基础,为日后在中国传播西学、倡导民主思想做了较充分的准备。严复回国后,受到日益严重的民族危机的强烈震撼,投身到变法维新运动中去,著书立说,要求变革救亡,从而开始了他人生的真正转折。 Yan Fu embarked on the stage of history in the Reform Movement of 1898. He adapted to the requirements of the development in a particular historical period and closely integrated salvation with enlightenment, patriotism and democratic ideas with a passionate patriotic passion. As the first advocate of democratic enlightenment, he pushed the modern China’s patriotism to a new stage of development. It is no accident that Yan Fu became a pioneer of the modern Chinese democratic movement. He was profoundly old and received more systematic new education, especially having studied in the United Kingdom. He toured Europe in a large number of Western political and academic ideas, such as Adam Smith, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Bentham, Mill, Huxley, Spencer and others, especially Darwin’s theory of evolution. This relatively solid foundation of western learning has made ample preparations for the dissemination of western studies in China and the promotion of democratic thinking in the future. After Yan Fu returned to China, he was strongly shocked by the increasingly serious national crisis and devoted himself to reform and reform movement. He wrote a book and called for change and salvation, thus beginning a real turning point in his life.